Category: Colour Theory

Black and white are a natural combination – opposites that look great together. Throw in any other colour and the combo still works. Literally any other colour. Try it, you’ll see. (Ok, orange might be a bit weird because black and orange evoke Halloween but even that is doable if you find the right shades.)

A rainbow marks clear skies after a storm, and is a symbol of beauty and pride, but wearing every colour all at once is a costume, rather than an outfit. But maybe that’s not a problem. Maybe costumes ARE the new outfits. Maybe we should all turn up at work wearing our comicon cosplay. It would certainly make the days more interesting. Go forth with costumery I say!

Pink and purple are sweet and feminine, and with turquoise in the mix, you have quite the My Little Pony experience. Aqua is crisp and cool, dusty rose is mellow, and violet is soothing, yet together these colours are a bold choice that could never be considered dull.

Green is cool, but its fun factor is ramped up when mixed with orange and yellow, which both sit on the warm side of things without getting too hot. All together there is an ease to this colour combination, perhaps because each colour transitions into the next on the spectrum. Truly, this combination is citrus personified – summery, sunny, and whimsical while maintaining a certain sourness, thus preventing the whole thing from being too cute to tolerate.

Yellow is sunshine, but red is fire. Black is power but red is command. Red and black together can be jarring because they compete, both trying to be dominant. But yellow tempers them both with a little whimsy, and a little fun. All together they are bold, but playful, and authoritative, but friendly.

Red, white, and blue are a classic colour combination. Red and blue are primaries, and when used together are associated with the most iconic of superheroes, and therefore stand for truth, justice, and whatever way is currently held in good standing. Together with white these colours evoke purity and goodness. Nothing nefarious could be stirring in the mind of someone wearing such a wholesome combination, right?

Blue is calming, like an ocean breeze. Grey is moody, like a lingering mist. Black is somber, like an emo kid from the 90s. Together they are crisp, cool, and collected, and just like that emo kid, they hope to get noticed while simultaneously conveying a don’t-give-a-shit attitude.

Brown is probably the least popular neutral, as it is literally muddy, and derived from mixing complimentary colours. Blue, on the other hand, is the most ubiquitous colour, being so safe an option it is sometimes seen as a neutral itself, such as with denim. Brown is a good option for people such as myself, who are so pale that they can appear unintentionally goth in black, or washed-out in white. Brown is earthy and warm, and makes a nice contrast to cool and collected blue. Together they are smart, matter-of-fact, and no-nonsense. A good option for work wear on a crisp autumn day.

Black is strong, moody, severe, and intense. Blue is calm, intelligent, and serene but when paired with black it too can be fierce. A pastel blue may be playful but royal blue is passionate and bold. Such a bright jewel tone does not contrast with black, it plays with it cooperatively, evoking power and a take-charge attitude. This is the right look for a business function in the evening wherein you want to be instantly respected and taken seriously.

Green is natural, full, and lush, while black is powerful, demanding, and forceful. Both colours make strong statements, with green evoking optimistic prosperity. Black can also imply prosperity, as it is often employed by the rich to denote luxury – think black leather – but even in the most opulent settings, it obviously remains decidedly dark. There is an indifference to black, a certain better than thou quality that green cannot compete with, as green is so eager, and down to earth. Even in its most rich and vibrant jewel tones, green cannot supersede black’s inevitable dominance. But green isn’t red, it’s not trying to be a rival to black. It’s happy in its own lane, pleased to be a pop of colour in an otherwise somber palette, without trying to dilute that mournful mood.